Toothaches are a real pain. In many cases, an aching tooth or jaw indicates some kind of dental upset, such as a cavity or an abscess. A dentist is the best person to identify the cause of the toothache, and to help fix it. But many people dislike visiting the dentist, and are likely to turn to home remedies for toothaches. Most home remedies for toothaches fall somewhere between scientific medicine, and swinging a cat around by its tail in a graveyard. All are non-invasive, and many are simply unappetizing. For the sake of discussion, we can categorize home remedies for toothaches by the key ingredient in the remedy.
Some of the most common home remedies for toothaches recommend using non-edible substances as topical analgesics. Clove oil is particularly valued as a topical oral analgesic due to its antiseptic and numbing qualities. It is recommended that a few drops of clove oil be mixed into a base of about three times as much olive oil. This oil mixture should be soaked up by a cotton ball, which is then placed in the mouth next to the culprit tooth. Clove oil should never be swallowed, and may cause burning and injury if applied un-diluted.
Similarly to clove oil, activated charcoal can also be used as a topical analgesic. The charcoal usually comes in powder form, which can be mixed with water to form a paste, and then applied to the tooth using a piece of gauze as a compress. Other home remedies for toothaches involve rinsing the mouth with a solution that, though not harmful when used as a rinse, should not be swallowed. These include hydrogen peroxide and warm salt-water.
A number of home remedies for toothaches recommend using edible items, many of which should be chewed next to the aching tooth. One such edible toothache remedy is onion. Fresh onion should be chewed for three minutes, sufficiently killing germs in the mouth, including the bacteria plaguing an infected tooth. Garlic can also be used in this way, and it is sometimes recommended to chew rock salt along with the garlic. These might also be great remedies for unwanted company, or unwelcome conversation.
Less offensive ingredients used in home remedies for toothaches include lime, bay-berry bark mixed with vinegar, Wheatgrass used as an oral rinse, pepper powder, curry, salt in child’s sock used as an external compress, and even figs boiled in milk. Other home remedies for toothaches recommend employing proper nutrition and oral health practices to prevent toothache. These include such simple solutions as avoiding sugar, eating raw vegetables, and taking vitamins and supplements such as vitamin C and calcium. Of course, what home remedy would be complete without including common-sense suggestions such as brushing, and flossing.